Opener for milk-bcttles and the like



5R. MC'HARDY, lOPENER FOR MILK BOTTLESl AND THE LIKE. 'APPLlc/mu Flu-:n nec. e. 1919.

1,368,406. y Patented Feb.,15,1921.

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PATENT OFFICE..

ROBERT MCHARDY, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

OPENER' FOR MILK-BOTTLES AND THE LIKE.

igesnoe.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patnted F61), 15, 1921,

Appnee'eienY fired December 6,' i919. serial No. 343,017.

To all whom t may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, Boerner MCT-lesuur, of the city of Toronto,y in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful 'Improve-i ments in Openers for Milklottles, and the like7 of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in openers for milk bottles and the like and the object of the invention is to devise an instrument for removing the cardboard Stoppers of these bottles so as to prevent the splashing over and spilling of the contents; a further object is to provide means for retaining the removed stopper on the instrument and out of contact with the table; a still further object is to make the opener in such form that when lying on a table or other flat surface neither will be damaged.

My invention consists of the arrangement of parts all as more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the manner in which my instrument is used.

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which my opener engages the stopper of a milk bottle.

Fig. 3 represents the opener resting in an inverted position with a removed stopper held thereby.

Fig. 4 represents the opener resting face downward on a flat surface.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

1 indicates my opener comprising a loop 1X, a straight shank portion 2, humps or up-x wardly. disposed angular portions 3, a straight shank portion 4:, and depending spicular portions 5. 6 indicates a milk bottle. 7 indicates the groove near the top of the bottle in which ts the stopper 8 accord ing to the usual practice.

My opener is constructed from a simple piece of wire in the following manner The wire is bent about its center and the two free ends are twisted about themselves. This forms the loop or handle portion proper and the straight shank portion 2. The two loose ends are now bent upwardly, then downwardly, forming humps or upwardly disposed angular portions 3, which are spaced apart. Next the loose ends are again twisted about themselves forming the second straight shank portion 4e. The free ends extend in V-shaped formation from the portion 4: and terminatein the two depending spicular portions 5 which incline slightly inward. The shank portion 2 lies in the plane of the loop 1X. The humps 3 and shank portion L are so arranged that the latter is odset upwardly from plane of portions l and 2 in such a manner that the spicular portions 5 do not intercept this plane.

The method of using my opener is illustrated in Fig. l, and is as follows The spicular portions 5 are placed on the stopper near the edge thereof and an out ward pull is exerted, which causes the points to penetrate into the stopper. The stopper may then bereadily withdrawn from the bottle. After withdrawal the stopper remains held by the spicular portions and the thick cream which usually covers the bottom of the stopper can be wiped off on the edge of the bottle and thus saved. By laying the opener in an inverted position on the table the humps 3 hold the spicular portions raised from the table or other support so that the stopper is held out of contact with anything liable to contaminate it while it is removed from the bottle and also ready to be replaced in the bottle when necessary without being touched by the fingers.

lWhen the opener is laid face downward on a table or other flat surface it rests only on the loop 1X and the portion 2 and no other parts of the instrument are in Contact with the surface. Owing to the relative arrangement of the various portions and in particular to the portion 4 being offset upwardly from the portions 1X and 2, the points of the spicular portions 5 do not touch the surface upon or against which the instrument is resting and therefore neither the points nor the surface can be damaged.

Hitherto the method of removing Stoppers of this type has been to insert an instrue ment between the stopper and the bottle and pry the stopper up or to pierce the stopper with a sharp skewer-like instrument which usually results in forcing the stopper partially down into the bottle and splashing the contents over the top thereof. By the use of my instrument this diificultv is entirely overcome as the groove 7 forms a bearing against which the edge ofthe stopper is pressed by the opener and there is no tendency to force the stopper down into the bottle.

.Another advantage of my device is the provision for holding the removed stopper so as to allow of the cream on the bottom being readily wiped ol onthe bottle edge Y,

and saved and further when the instrument is laid on the table the soiled stopper is` kept out of contact with thetable.

By making the instrument of such form that the spicular projections are'supported clear of the supporting surfaee,'whether 'lying face downward or in the inverted po sition, the points of the opener are preserved in good condition and also there is no danger of mai-ring the surface of a wall or table against which the instrument may be resting.

from the shank, and depending spioular Vmembers extending from the diverging portions, said Vspioular members terminating above the plane of the handle for a purpose speoied.

.ROBERT MHARDY. 

